Wringing Secrets from Greenland's Icecap
This even included the hydrogen bottles for
filling the weather balloons. These bottles
were supposed to be highly explosive, but not
one blew up.
The technique was improved as the years
passed. The free-drop runs, directed by me
by radio from the ground, were made at less
than 20 feet, and thus the losses dropped
under 2 percent. all told.
His last airdrop mission completed. Loubry
headed back for France. As we were picking
up the last pounds, we found a jerrican
painted red and labeled "Pinard."
Pinard is
a French slang word for red table wine. It
was a gift from our comrades of our Ant
arctic expedition, which I had organized over
the radio from Greenland, with Andre-Frank
Liotard as field leader.
As these missions were being flown, the
work continued at the Central Icecap Station.
The living quarters, laboratories, bunkers, and
under-snow corridors were being completed.
The expedition's scientific program was being
amplified every day. The supplies left behind
had come up in three weasel trains, and a
good part of the second group had come to
join us.
In late July came our first report of below
sea-level bedrock beneath the ice. This elec
trifying news reached the Central Station by
radio from a survey party led by Alain Joset.
Deep Fjord Found under Ice
Joset had passed a slight wrinkle on the
surface of the icecap. He had never before
seen such a wrinkle. He backtracked quickly
and made a sounding on the spot. The bed
rock under two miles of ice registered 980
feet below sea level. Beneath his feet lay a
deep fjord, which I believe to be one of the
outflows of the ice toward the coast.
Our reaction to this first of many far-below
sea-level readings may be summed up in one
word--Wow "
Summer neared its end, and the eight
wintering men were soon ready to be left
Snug in His Sled, Paul Perroud Fries Beans Over a Primus Stove
Traveling day and night, the icecap explorers took turns driving the weasels; they ate and rested in the sleds.
Canvas tops gave the sleds a covered-wagon look. Melting of snow for water kept men and stoves busy.